The 39th edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival will take place at BFI Southbank, featuring screenings, special events, and DJ nights. The festival, known for its significance in the LGBTQIA+ film calendar, is divided into three thematic strands: HEARTS, BODIES, and MINDS. This year’s programme includes 34 World Premieres, 56 features, 1 series, and 81 shorts from 41 countries. Five Films For Freedom, in partnership with the British Council, will present five selected shorts to a global audience during the festival.

The festival will open with the International Premiere of The Wedding Banquet, directed by Andrew Ahn, a remake of Ang Lee’s beloved rom-com. The Closing Night film will be the UK premiere of Night Stage, directed by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon.

Important Films to Note:

• Manok (World Premiere – dir. Yu-jin Lee) – A middle-aged lesbian returns to her hometown after her mother’s death and faces challenges in a prejudiced community. She decides to run for town chief to initiate change.
• Summer’s Camera (World Premiere – dir. Divine Sung) – A beautifully shot coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl’s first crush and her journey of grief and self-discovery.
• Viet and Nam (dir. Trương Minh Quý) – A hypnotic tale of two Vietnamese miners confronting the weight of the past and distorted hopes for the future.
• After the Snowmelt (dir. Yi-Shan Lo) – A moving documentary exploring grief and legacy as a filmmaker traces her late friend’s final journey through Nepal.
• Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (dir. Petersen Vargas) – A powerful story of queer belonging and chosen family, following street hustlers on a journey to fulfill a friend’s dying wish.

This year’s BFI Flare LGBTQIA+ Film Festival will feature a powerful lineup of films exploring trans and non-binary narratives, human rights struggles, and diverse expressions of queer identity. The programme includes TRANS MEMORIA by Victoria Verseau, an intimate reflection on a friend’s passing and Verseau’s own transition; ENIGMA by Emmy-nominated Zackary Drucker, which follows the parallel stories of disco legend Amanda Lear and British trans icon April Ashley; and OUTERLANDS, Elena Oxman’s feature debut about a non-binary nanny confronting addiction and childhood trauma.

Documentaries at the festival include HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY by Sam Feder, focusing on trans civil rights lawyer Chase Strangio’s fight against anti-trans legislation; SALLY!, a tribute to activist Sally Gearhart by Deborah Craig; and MEA CULPA, which explores the intersection of sexuality and nationality in the director’s personal journey across Lebanon and Belgium. There is also a strong emphasis on LGBTQ+ activism, with films like IF I DIE, IT’LL BE OF JOY about elderly LGBTQ+ activists and Alexis Taillant’s exploration of sexuality and justice across cultures.

The programme will also celebrate queer music and performance, featuring QUEENS OF DRAMA, a camp satire by Alexis Langlois, and tributes to musicians like Peaches and Venus Xtravaganza in PEACHES GOES BANANAS and I’M YOUR VENUS. A BODY TO LIVE IN will present cultural icon Fakir Musafar’s life and work.

This year’s road trip films include DRIVE BACK HOME, exploring family conflict during a long journey, and SOME NIGHTS I FEEL LIKE WALKING, a story of queer belonging as Manila’s hustlers return a friend’s body to his family. Parenthood themes appear in films such as FOUR MOTHERS, SAD JOKES, and FATHERHOOD, which explore family dynamics in various LGBTQ+ contexts.

BFI Flare will also present the year’s top queer films, including Luca Guadagnino’s QUEER and Jane Schoenbrun’s I SAW THE TV GLOW, which explores a teenager’s surreal obsession with a late-night show. The programme also features #FiveFilmsForFreedom, a digital initiative celebrating love as a human right, available online for free globally.

The BFI NETWORK & BAFTA Mentoring programme that supports emerging LGBTQIA+ creatives with mentorship and industry coaching, will return for its 10th year. For professionals in the film and screen industries, the BFI Flare industry programme will offers networking opportunities, with further details to be announced.

As mentioned above, BFI Flare 2025 is divided into three strands: HEARTS, BODIES, and MINDS.

HEARTS features films about love, romance, and friendship, including The Astronaut Lovers, High Tide, Sandbag Dam, To Our Friends, and We Are Faheem and Karun. It also includes short films such as Karma’s A Bitch and Let Trans Kids Bloom.

BODIES explores sex, identity, and transformation with films like Memorabilia, Onda Nova, Rent Free, The Pleasure Is Mine, and The Silence of My Hands. Other shorts include Sporty Spice! and Queer and Now.

MINDS reflects on art, politics, and community with selections like Between Worlds, Day Dreamers, The Flame of My Resistance, and Queer Africa: New Visions.

Additional events include Queering the Square celebrating 40 years of EastEnders, a history of Black queer women’s cinema, a celebration of queer disabled filmmakers, and a variety of workshops and panels on LGBTQIA+ issues. The festival will also host DJ nights, a closing party, and an exhibition on LGBTQ+ activism in the 80s.

The full programme can be found here.

The BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival will take place at BFI Southbank from 19^th-30^th March. Tickets will go on sale from 25^th February for members and general sale from 27^th February via bfi.org.uk/flare.

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